I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 1:4

Army Man Rice has been one of my oldest son’s favorite dishes since he was a baby. When he was in the throes of gluten and dairy, we served it topped with copious quantities of shredded cheese and butter bread. Now he tops it with homemade tofu sour cream or non-dairy yogurt or sunflower seeds. If we have dairy-free, vegan cheese, then he uses that on top. My youngest son likes it with bacon bits on top. It sounds weird, but a small spoonful of mayonnaise on top is pretty good too.

This is an original recipe, created to taste like taco-style rice. My poor aspie (Asperger’s Syndrome) boy was so limited in the types of food he would eat, but this dish, because of it’s name, held a certain status that made it worthy of his acceptance. It’s cheap, tastes good and guests always seem to enjoy it. My oldest son still eats it at least a couple of times a month. For him it’s high comfort food.

Army Man Rice or Taco Style Rice

Ingredients

1 or 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup long grain white rice

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons chicken broth powder or bouillon cubes

1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 garlic powder

1 tablespoon dry onion

Dash red pepper flakes or ground red pepper (optional)

8 ounce can tomato sauce or 1 cup chopped fresh or canned tomatoes

2 cups water

Directions

Find a 2-quart saucepan with a tightly fitting lid. Heat it over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and rice. Fry it about for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the rice is lightly toasted. Add the remaining ingredients.

Bring the mixture to a full, rolling boil over high heat. Stir it up nicely. Place the lid on top and reduce the heat to low. Allow the rice to cook for 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve as a side dish or a main dish. Makes 2 or 3 main dish servings or 4 side dish servings. This is great with tacos or burritos. Leftovers are good in taco salads or added to burritos or taco filling.

To Use Brown Rice: Replace the white rice the same amount of brown rice. Prepare as directed. Cook for 45 to 50 minutes or until tender.

To Add Beans: You can add a drained can of beans to make Beans & Rice. Use a 15-ounce can of beans, or add 1 to 2 cups of home cooked beans. Add along with the water, otherwise cook as directed.

To Add Ground Meat: A half-pound of ground beef or ground turkey can be fried in the pot first. Omit the oil. Add the rice when the meat is well browned. Proceed as directed. Serve with hot buttered corn tortillas.

To Add Other Meat: You can slice in a couple of hot dogs or add 1/2 to 1-cup of cooked chopped chicken or ham. Brown with the rice or add along with the water. Proceed as directed. Serve with buttered hot corn tortillas.